NSAC's Blog
Expanding Farm to School Nationwide
March 4, 2015
Many of our nation’s children eat two of their meals every day (plus snacks!) at school – what better place to invest in growing healthy kids? Farm to school programs are part of the solution: they introduce children to new and healthy foods choices in the cafeteria, classroom, and garden, and encourage children to have healthy eating habits both at school and at home.
And what else makes farm to school programs so great? Their support of local FARMERS! As Kansas farmer Mark Jirak put it: “…our sales increased 14.9% from 2012-2014 during two years we have worked with schools, and as a percent of business farm to school now accounts for 32% of total business.” Farm to school increases market opportunities for local farmers like Mark and supports community and economic development, making it a win-win for kids, farmers, and communities!
We’re excited to announce the introduction of The Farm to School Act of 2015, a bill that will expand and improve the widely popular USDA Farm to School Grant Program. The bipartisan team of legislators who introduced this bill* need your support!
Will you sign your name to endorse this bill and show your support for the Farm to School Act of 2015? We need to show Congress that this bill is critical for kids and farmers, and your support will help us do just that.
We’ve seen decades of incredible work around farm to school. From school gardens to farm field trips to fruit and vegetable taste tests in the cafeteria, communities have been working together to create a culture of wellness in schools, one that supports local farmers and brings healthy, local food to children’s plates. Let’s make sure Congress doesn’t roll back the clock on the progress local communities have made. Sign here and help make sure kids win, farmers win, and communities win with the Farm to School Act of 2015!
* Farm to school is an issue Democrats and Republicans can get behind! In the Senate, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS) are the champions for this effort; in the House, it’s Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), and Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH).
Categories: Action Alerts
I support Farm to Schhool!
Small. Local. More nutritious. Makes sense.